Patentable/Patents/US-10726183
US-10726183

Testing apparatus

PublishedJuly 28, 2020
Assigneenot available in USPTO data we have
Inventorsnot available in USPTO data we have
Technical Abstract

A testing apparatus includes a chip carrying device and a pressing device. The chip carrying device includes a circuit board and a plurality of electrically connecting units that are disposed on the circuit board and each can receive a chip. The pressing device includes a cover, an abutting member, and an airtight member. The cover is disposed on the circuit board to jointly define an accommodating space accommodating the abutting member and the electrically connecting units. The airtight member is arranged between the cover and the circuit board to seal the accommodating space. The cover has at least one exhaust hole. When an air suction apparatus exhausts air in the accommodating space through the at least one exhaust hole, the cover is abutted against the airtight member, and the abutting member is abutted against the chips to connect each of the electrically connecting units and the corresponding chip.

Patent Claims
13 claims

Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.

1

1. A testing apparatus for testing a plurality of chips, comprising: a chip carrying device including: at least one circuit board; and a plurality of electrically connecting units disposed on the at least one circuit board for carrying the chips; and a pressing device including: a cover having a concavity formed on one side thereof, wherein the cover is disposed on the at least one circuit board so as to jointly define an accommodating space, and the electrically connecting units are arranged in the accommodating space, and wherein the cover has at least one exhaust hole for providing an air suction apparatus to perform a suction operation to expel air in the accommodating space; an abutting member disposed between the cover and the electrically connecting units, and at least partially arranged in the accommodating space; and an airtight member being resilient, wherein the airtight member is sandwiched between the at least one circuit board and the cover so as to prevent the accommodating space from being in air communication with an external space, wherein when the air suction apparatus performs a suction operation to expel the air in the accommodating space, the cover is abutted against the airtight member to deform the airtight member, and the abutting member is abutted against the electrically connecting units and the chips so as to connect each of the electrically connecting units and the corresponding chip.

2

2. The testing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the airtight member includes a top surface, a bottom surface opposite to the top surface, and an annular lateral surface connected to an outer edge of the top surface and an outer edge of the bottom surface, a width of the top surface is less than that of an end surface of the cover facing the at least one circuit board, and the width of the top surface is larger than a width of the bottom surface.

3

3. The testing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the airtight member is a sheet structure having a plurality of thru-holes, the airtight member is disposed on the at least one circuit board, and the electrically connecting units respectively pass through the thru-holes and are each partially exposed from the airtight member.

4

4. The testing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cover has an engaging slot recessed in an end surface thereof facing the at least one circuit board, and the airtight member is partially engaged with the engaging slot.

5

5. The testing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one circuit board has an engaging slot recessed in a surface carrying the electrically connecting units, and the airtight member is partially engaged with the engaging slot.

6

6. The testing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the abutting member and the cover are integrally formed as a one-piece structure.

7

7. The testing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the electrically connecting units includes: a main body having a top wall and an annular wall, wherein the top wall has an opening, one end of the annular wall is connected to a peripheral edge of the top wall, and the other end of the annular wall is disposed on the at least one circuit board, wherein the top wall, the annular wall, and the at least one circuit board jointly define an accommodating slot, and wherein the top wall has an inner surface arranged in the accommodating slot and an outer surface opposite to the inner surface; a supporting structure disposed on the at least one circuit board and arranged in the accommodating slot; a lift structure arranged in the accommodating slot and including a base portion, a carrying portion extending from the base portion, and a plurality of retaining portions extending from the carrying portion along a direction away from the base portion, wherein the base portion is arranged in the accommodating slot, and the carrying portion is at least partially arranged in the opening, wherein at least part of the retaining portions protrude from the opening of the main body, and the retaining portions and the carrying portion jointly form a chip receiving slot for accommodating one of the chips having a plurality of contacts, and wherein the lift structure has a plurality of connecting holes penetratingly formed through the base portion and the carrying portion; at least one elastic assembly arranged in the accommodating slot, wherein one end of the at least one elastic assembly is fixed to the lift structure, and the other end of the at least one elastic assembly is fixed to the supporting structure, and wherein the at least one elastic assembly is configured to be pressed to generate a return force that pushes the base portion to abut against the inner surface of the top wall, so that the lift structure and the supporting structure have a gap there-between; and a plurality of probe assemblies connected to the at least one circuit board and each having a first end and an opposite second end, wherein the first ends of the probe assemblies are fixed to the supporting structure, and the second ends of the probe assemblies are respectively arranged in the connecting holes, wherein in each of the electrically connecting units, when the chip receiving slot receives the corresponding chip and the retaining portions are not pressed by the abutting member, the probe assemblies in the connecting holes do not connect to the contacts of the corresponding chip, and wherein in each of the electrically connecting units, when the chip receiving slot receives the corresponding chip and the abutting member is abutted against the outer surface of the top wall, the retaining portions protruding from the opening of the main body are pressed by the pressing device so as to move toward the accommodating slot, and the probe assemblies are respectively abutted against the contacts of the corresponding chip for establishing an electrical connection between the probe assemblies and the corresponding chip.

8

8. The testing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein in each of the electrically connecting units, a longitudinal direction of each of the probe assemblies defines an axis direction, and when the retaining portions are not pressed by the abutting member, a portion of each of the retaining portions protruding from the opening has a length in the axis direction, and the length is less than or equal to a distance between the lift structure and the supporting structure in the axis direction.

9

9. The testing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein in each of the electrically connecting units, a longitudinal direction of each of the probe assemblies defines an axis direction, and when the lift structure is not pressed by the abutting member, a distance between the second end of each of the probe assemblies and an adjacent edge of the corresponding connecting hole is less than or equal to a distance between the lift structure and the supporting structure in the axis direction.

10

10. The testing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein in each of the electrically connecting units, when the chip receiving slot receives the corresponding chip, the abutting member is configured to simultaneously press the outer surface of the top wall and an outer surface of the corresponding chip arranged away from the lift structure.

11

11. The testing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein in each of the electrically connecting units, when the chip receiving slot receives the corresponding chip and the abutting member is abutted against the outer surface of the top wall, the second ends of the probe assemblies protrude from the connecting holes.

12

12. The testing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein in each of the electrically connecting units, when the chip receiving slot receives the corresponding chip and the abutting member presses the retaining portions to cause the lift structure to abut against the supporting structure, the probe assemblies are respectively abutted against the contacts of the corresponding chip, and the abutting member is abutted against an outer surface of the corresponding chip arranged away from the lift structure.

13

13. The testing apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein in each of the electrically connecting units, when the chip receiving slot receives the corresponding chip and the abutting member presses the retaining portions to cause the lift structure to abut against the supporting structure, the second ends of the probe assemblies protrude from the connecting holes.

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Patent Metadata

Filing Date

August 27, 2019

Publication Date

July 28, 2020

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Cite as: Patentable. “Testing apparatus” (US-10726183). https://patentable.app/patents/US-10726183

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